The Broken Man. Josephine Cox

Читать онлайн.
Название The Broken Man
Автор произведения Josephine Cox
Жанр Современная зарубежная литература
Серия
Издательство Современная зарубежная литература
Год выпуска 0
isbn 9780007419906



Скачать книгу

for something or someone.

      Anne’s heart skipped a beat. She could hardly breathe. ‘Stop that!’ she chided herself. The past is long behind you.

      The man was out of sight now and, with an irate driver honking his car horn behind her, Anne shifted into gear and drew away.

      Some short distance down the road, she pulled over and switched the engine off. Wrapping her trembling fingers around the steering wheel, she gripped it so tight her knuckles turned white.

      ‘Pull yourself together, girl!’

      She reminded herself that this was not the first time she’d imagined he was actually in her street searching for her. And each time she’d been wrong.

      After a few minutes, feeling calmer, she restarted the engine and set off again. By now, there was no sight of the man who had truly unnerved her.

      Edward Carter was in a foul mood. Having been up and down the back alley, peeking into yards and hanging about, he had still not been able to catch sight of her. He knew the house was in this street. He’d seen the address in the past enough damned times to know he’d got the right place. Roff Avenue, Bedford.

      Unkempt and agitated, he had been on the run far too long. He needed a place to hide to keep his head down for a while. He had a plan, and it involved Anne Wyman, the girl he had married all those years ago. The naïve, trusting little girl who eventually ran off and left him. She owed him, and she was still his wife … whether she liked it or not.

      He chuckled to himself. If she really thought he might never come looking for her, she was in for a real surprise.

      He continued to wander up and down the back alley, growing increasingly agitated, his sharp eyes constantly scanning the houses.

      When a couple of people turned into the alley and wandered past him, he flattened himself against the wall, pretending to light a cigarette. As they went past, he nodded amiably to them. ‘Morning.’

      After a fleeting acknowledgement, the couple walked on, though they turned once to take another look at him. When he stared back, they made a hasty exit.

      The policeman had not long turned the corner into Roff Avenue when he saw the man head into the alley, and now, as he noticed the couple hurrying out, he grew curious and crossed the street to investigate.

      Edward Carter saw the policeman approaching, and, speaking in his finest voice, he cunningly made his way towards him.

      ‘Good morning, officer. I wonder if you might be able to help me?’

      Surprised by this untidy man’s refined voice and manner, the policeman replied in a friendly but authoritative tone, ‘If I can help you, I will, but it’s not wise to be loitering about these back alleys. It tends to make people nervous, and that makes me nervous.’

      ‘Of course. I do understand, but I’m looking for an old friend … a woman by the name of Anne Carter. When she moved away from her previous address, she gave me the street and town, but forgot to write down the number of her aunt’s house … that’s where she’s staying.’

      He began to rummage in his pocket. ‘I can show you what she wrote … Roff Avenue, Bedford. I promised to visit when I was able. The thing is, her old aunt Ada doesn’t have a telephone, doesn’t like them, so I’m told.’ He gave a warm smile.

      The policeman nodded. ‘I know a lot of people who seem a bit timid of the idea. I expect they’re used to going down to the red box outside. My mother’s exactly the same … won’t even hear of a telephone in the house.’

      Still putting on a show, Carter pulled a crumpled piece of paper out of his pocket, feigning a groan when he read it. ‘Oh, wrong one. Sorry, officer. It must be in my inside pocket …’ He made a big fuss of digging about in his pockets.

      The policeman accepted his story hook, line and sinker. ‘Look, I understand. I’m afraid I can’t help you, but I tell you what –’ he pointed back down the alley – ‘go back the same way you came in, and turn left. You’ll see a pub on the corner. The landlord’s always up and working, and there’s an old fella keeps the place spick and span. Like as not he might know where your friend is living, especially if there’s an old aunt, because the old ’uns do have a communal spirit round these parts.’

      Конец ознакомительного фрагмента.

      Текст предоставлен ООО «ЛитРес».

      Прочитайте эту книгу целиком, купив полную легальную версию на ЛитРес.

      Безопасно оплатить книгу можно банковской картой Visa, MasterCard, Maestro, со счета мобильного телефона, с платежного терминала, в салоне МТС или Связной, через PayPal, WebMoney, Яндекс.Деньги, QIWI Кошелек, бонусными картами или другим удобным Вам способом.

/9j/4AAQSkZJRgABAgEBLAEsAAD/4Rp6RXhpZgAASUkqAAgAAAAHABIBAwABAAAAAQAAABoBBQAB AAAAYgAAABsBBQABAAAAagAAACgBAwABAAAAAgAAADEBAgAcAAAAcgAAADIBAgAUAAAAjgAAAGmH BAABAAAApAAAANAAAADAxi0AECcAAMDGLQAQJwAAQWRvYmUgUGhvdG9zaG9wIENTMyBXaW5kb3dz ADIwMTc6MDU6MjIgMDk6NTA6MTkAAAADAAGgAwABAAAAAQAAAAKgBAABAAAAIAMAAAOgBAABAAAA zQQAAAAAAAAAAAYAAwEDAAEAAAAGAAAAGgEFAAEAAAAeAQAAGwEFAAEAAAAmAQAAKAEDAAEAAAAC AAAAAQIEAAEAAAAuAQAAAgIEAAEAAABEGQAAAAAAAEgAAAABAAAASAAAAAEAAAD/2P/gABBKRklG AAECAABIAEgAAP/tAAxBZG9iZV9DTQAB/+4ADkFkb2JlAGSAAAAAAf/bAIQADAgICAkIDAkJDBEL CgsRFQ8MDA8VGBMTFRMTGBEMDAwMDAwRDAwMDAwMDAwMDAwMDAwMDAwMDAwMDAwMDAwMDAENCwsN Dg0QDg4QFA4ODhQUDg4ODhQRDAwMDAwREQwMDAwMDBEMDAwMDAwMDAwMDAwMDAwMDAwMDAwMDAwM DAwM/8AAEQgAoABoAwEiAAIRAQMRAf/dAAQAB//EAT8AAAEFAQEBAQEBAAAAAAAAAAMAAQIEBQYH CAkKCwEAAQUBAQEBAQEAAAAAAAAAAQACAwQFBgcICQoLEAABBAEDAgQCBQcGCAUDDDMBAAIRAwQh EjEFQVFhEyJxgTIGFJGhsUIjJBVSwWIzNHKC0UMHJZJT8OHxY3M1FqKygyZEk1RkRcKjdDYX0lXi ZfKzhMPTdePzRieUpIW0lcTU5PSltcXV5fVWZnaGlqa2xtbm9jdHV2d3h5ent8fX5/cRAAICAQIE BAMEBQYHBwYFNQEAAhEDITESBEFRYXEiEwUygZEUobFCI8FS0fAzJGLhcoKSQ1MVY3M08SUGFqKy gwcmNcLSRJNUoxdkRVU2dGXi8rOEw9N14/NGlKSFtJXE1OT0pbXF1eX1VmZ2hpamtsbW5vYnN0dX Z3eHl6e3x//aAAwDAQACEQMRAD8A6xrZKI2okaCVKtkNLkDPxjlMYWPFTq/UAdJ5sqspr+g5v0Lb Kr/+tLDAs1s6JNDTVL6ZjjTxTtY7wQMfDurzvtL7jdXBAa7kS2hk7dvp/wCAs+j6X87/AIRQq6dl 1Na37V6jQw1jeX7mh7HMf+k3Pdd6NrvUxvU/S+l+htu/R12pwiO60yPZ0q54hT7TBhZOR0zOta5o zTtcXlrTuG0WWVZG3cN+/wBN7LWU+z9Fj2fZ/wDhE7en5Lciq43giu6217Zd+kFj67GNP51foMZs +ndv/mf6PbYiYivmRZvZ0z8Eizy54WeOnXus3HJfX73udZWSLHbrWZNG6f0X6kxn2epn6Wm6r9Hb X6HqUpq8O51WZjuyq35FjatxY4gsIZWw7qnetbj13Pqtsq32W/zn/GeqzgH7yeI9m+GE9kZjHeBl ZFPTcmt7C68PLbaXlxJILK62UW0vqsa/f6m2x7P036O6z7R+j/m7iV9IyGNpDLwW1tqFjXFxDzXb 67tu5r3VeozdXb/PMyP0f6Kv0vURjCN/MiUpfuuoWeWqiWHkiFnv6bnPpNRvB3Maydz/AMy/7Tu9 wf8Az1Lvs9n0/wDr1X6NWcLDux7cl9lvqi+w2MGvsBdY/wBKD7PY2xv6X+c/wX81RjomA11tAkez YiAPvSTkJIJf/9Dr2WzosnJoqP1ywbfTabB03JIftG7S1jW+76XtbZZ/24tRtcEeap2Qz659OM6D p2SSfhdSsqAomv3Zfk3pnQeYbbM+lxvbQy3K+yONd7qGhwbY0brKGbn1uyLqv8LXjetsf+h/n/0S TerdOsqw7Me0ZI6juOE2qCbAxvqXPHqGr02Y7P5/1vT9J/6H+f8A0azvqo+rpHRK+n9UvZTl9Osu +1G120kOusyK8qv1IdfTfVZuqtr/AJz+b/nVV6d0mh/TsRnUrrek9RtyczqHSrpbXbjNsexxxnep NP6Wm5t2TgWfzlXq/wChtR9uNka6Ggf3vFjM5UD3DvHqFLaa7H13Msuudj1YzmfpnWtLg6tlbXOZ t21vv9f1fs32b9Z9b0kG/q2HRTm3XCys9NaH5lJZNjGOG6u5rWOdXbTYz3Nsqt/0m/31rByL8y5v QOvdZrF2FhPzcfMyqWODTVaPs2J1dtNfvqxchtO+2z6Gz9JV+juqV7rLehv+rvWsjpZx7rDg2Msy Mdwt9oHsrfkNdZ/Zq3onEBV3qa02+bhUMhN+DoWdXxse2lmTVfjV5LgyjJurDanPd/N0vcHvuxrL P8H9rpx1RwrHVfWr6wBlFlz319OJbUGAyKb2+919lFe7+tYo/WvIxep9ByOlYNleXndQbVTj41bt z93qVWOutYzc7Hpxm1+rddkelXUj9JLf+dv1hr3ix7a+mgnuSKrtzo/tNTRD0SNVpVHwnj1UZeoC +u6a3q2LbhYmXj32Y7cnMpxgXUFz/U9X0bsDIot2/ZXvdXZj2XO/mP5yr/Bq03q1bsnLw6MfIyMj BLG3srawAGxnr1BluRbRVbur/ceuXF+P+zy/1GR/zt+luEf0n1Of+L963ei2Md9ZvrE1rgXDIwtw B4jFYzX+23akcQiCaOln/nRChkkT503R1rprun1dRbaXY+S4V44DT6llrnOqbi10H9J9p9VljH1f 4L07X2/oq/URKOoUXZd2CQ+nMx2tssotADjW/Su+pzHWVX072ur31Wforf0duxcgzaem9L6vrldO 6d1PqDuoV1S8tqvtyK25pZT+kczEbZ6z/T/Selbv+gul6e7oFt5yOmOxr7vT9N2RjvFrhWXb/Rfe 11np1us9/ovd9NKcIxB0J31/do7SVGRJ3DpFySYNlJQ+LK//